Brewing Supply list help?

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Zrab11

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Alright. After doing some research I've come to the conclusion that buying a pre made kit would be a waste. Its cheaper to buy everything individually. I have put together a spreadsheet of the 3 sites i would buy supplies from.The list is based off all of the stuff that is included in each sites pre made brewing kits. This stuff is most likely base stuff and might be something that would be worth upgrading.
What off this list am i missing? Or what off the list should i improve.

http://tinyurl.com/7mh5b9t

My budget is 250$

Supplies i already have..

Bayou Cooker
15.5 Gallon SS keg converted to pot
2 x Glass 5 gal carboys
bottle capper
60 bottle caps
300+ empty bottles
Making a wort chiller (for about 50$ from supplies at lowes)
2 brewing books


So after i buy the supplies on the list and make the wort chiller it looks like i'll have approx 100$ to spend if i buy the base stuff listed on the list..

My initial thoughts are i might want to buy way more cleaners and also i might want to buy better thermometers.

So please look through my list in the google DOCS and see if with the money i have if i should buy whats listed or if i should upgrade any of the stuff listed.
Also if there is any supplies you don't see that you think it would be great for me to have as i plan on doing this for a long time please list that.

I still haven't chosen if i am going to go glass carboy or Better bottle but i know i don't want a bucket as id like to see the fermenting process!

Thanks for any advise. Ive done a lot of reading and a lot of research but now i'm just ready to start brewing so any last advice or items to make my brewing process simpler or give me a better chance at making the best beer i can is much appreciated.
 
On a budget, I would go with buckets over carboys and I would get an airlock vs. a blowoff tube, but not sure your bias towards those. I never got into carboys because they are more difficult to fill and clean. Get a long stem thermometer with a clip to attach to your brewpot. Get the sticky thermometers for the side of your buckets. If you're going to bottle, get a vinator and consider a tree or something to simplify the cleaning/drying process. I don't see a racking cane on your list which you'll need to bottle. Oh yeah, you need a long handle spoon if you don't already have one.
 
Does the price in your spreadsheet include shipping? That can vary a fair bit. But anyway, if you have a local homebrew shop would strongly advise you to go there and check it out. I have two near me and both of them have prices very close to online prices, and if you go there intending to spend hundreds of dollars, you will develop a good relationship with the guys in the shop, and you never know, they might throw in a few small things for free.
 
I agree about getting buckets, but if you're going to stick with carboys I would get a 6.5 gallon as a primary, and a 5 as a secondary.

I love my buckets though. I have them, carboys, and better bottles. Really prefer the buckets.
 
Filling and cleaning 12oz bottles gets old real quick. I'd consider moving to 1l ez caps or kegging.
 
Use 6.5 gal. carboys or buckets for primary. Use the 5gal for secondary. You will need a carboy brush. Don't use better bottles for primary, imo. If you go AG you will want a couple different thermometers, for extract one is fine. A hydrometer is a must, but not necessary for your first batch. Buying ingredients and chemicals in bulk will save money, get the big bottle of sanitizer if you can. You need a big A spoon.

Back to the bulk thing. My LHBS sells hops for around $ 2. 59 an ounce but 4 oz is 4.59 and a pound is an even better bargain. Needless to say I never buy an ounce of anything.
 
You may also want to get a Jet bottle/carboy washer.

Is this actually necessary? I'm very new to this hobby and am currently 3 days into my primary fermentation. I have the Brooklyn Brew Shop kit, so I only have one 1-gallon carboy. I'd very much like to graduate to a 5-gallon, but I simply don't have the room right now, as I live in a condo that's currently on the market to be sold (minimal is key when selling your place). So with that said, I don't have the luxury of having a set-up of 5 gallon buckets, etc. So my plan is to invest in maybe 2 or 3 additional 1-gallon carboys so I can at least get a few batches going at staggered times. What I'm concerned about though is cleaning these suckers. Is it really that bad? I've found a few websites that give you cleaning tips (like putting rice and vinegar in the carboy and shaking), or using a long wire brush, etc. Am I going to have a hell of a time cleaning a 1-gallon glass carboy?
 
If you get glass carboys, I highly recommend getting the handles that go around the neck, much easier to move them around.

Where will you be fermenting? Do you need any supplies to assist with temp control?
 
Also, do you need any supplies for making yeast starters? Depends on what kind of yeast you're planning on using, and the gravity of the beers you're planning on brewing.
 
Also, do you need any supplies for making yeast starters? Depends on what kind of yeast you're planning on using, and the gravity of the beers you're planning on brewing.

The carboy I currently have from Brooklyn Brew Shop does have a handle near the neck, so I'd be looking to get something similar, yea. I'm fermenting in a walk-in closet that stays pretty cool. As far as supplies for making yeast starters and knowing what yeast I plan on using, I have no idea. All of these kits that I see online are usually for 5 gallons of beer, so I really want to find 1-gallon kits. I'm assuming when I buy the kit, they just provide me with the yeast that I need, no?

Sorry, really new to all of this and haven't gotten into understanding what yeasts I'm supposed to use or how I even make a starter.
 
If you get glass carboys, I highly recommend getting the handles that go around the neck, much easier to move them around.

Where will you be fermenting? Do you need any supplies to assist with temp control?


I will be fermenting in my house.. My back closet stays in-between 60-70 degrees on a constant basics . As for lagers i have a chest freezer that i use as my cellar and that has a temp control set up to it that is set to 45-50.

So i should be able to get away with the closet but if i wanted exact temp i would need to buy/make a fermentation chamber.
 
Also, do you need any supplies for making yeast starters? Depends on what kind of yeast you're planning on using, and the gravity of the beers you're planning on brewing.

I do not have any supplies to make yeast.. I plan on doing a pale ale for my 1st brew, then prob. a brown ale, then a DIPA and then a stout.. Should i buy some supplies to help make yeast?

If i should what supplies would you recommend. ?
 
The carboy I currently have from Brooklyn Brew Shop does have a handle near the neck, so I'd be looking to get something similar, yea. I'm fermenting in a walk-in closet that stays pretty cool. As far as supplies for making yeast starters and knowing what yeast I plan on using, I have no idea. All of these kits that I see online are usually for 5 gallons of beer, so I really want to find 1-gallon kits. I'm assuming when I buy the kit, they just provide me with the yeast that I need, no?

Sorry, really new to all of this and haven't gotten into understanding what yeasts I'm supposed to use or how I even make a starter.

I think your THREAD JACKING but its ok i'm a nice guy..

I def. want everyone to answer my questions but feel free to chime in on this guys questions as well
 
I think your THREAD JACKING but its ok i'm a nice guy..

I def. want everyone to answer my questions but feel free to chime in on this guys questions as well

Sorry man. I didn't want to start a new thread with similar questions. My apologies :)
 
Sorry man. I didn't want to start a new thread with similar questions. My apologies :)

Like i said.. No biggy..

I;m keel with the community answering both our questions.. I just don't want to get over looked.. No need to start a new thread
 
I agree about getting buckets, but if you're going to stick with carboys I would get a 6.5 gallon as a primary, and a 5 as a secondary.

I love my buckets though. I have them, carboys, and better bottles. Really prefer the buckets.

I don't use a "secondary" (clearing vessel) except for lagering and I use 7.9 gallon buckets for fermenting. If you're going to use carboys and not buckets, a 5 gallon carboy is too small! You need a 6.5 gallon carboy if you're using it to ferment in. I like the plastic "Better Bottles" but the largest size they come in is 6 gallons so I don't use them all that often.


I do not have any supplies to make yeast.. I plan on doing a pale ale for my 1st brew, then prob. a brown ale, then a DIPA and then a stout.. Should i buy some supplies to help make yeast?

If i should what supplies would you recommend. ?

You can buy packages of yeast so that you don't have to make a yeast starter. But if you want to make sure you can make a yeast starter if you want to, you need some DME (dry malt extract). You just boil up 1/2 cup DME in 2 cups water (scale up if you need to make it bigger) and then cool that. You pour it into a growler or jug, and cover with sanitized foil. I bought a 3 pound bag of DME that I keep around just for yeast starters.

I wouldn't buy any bottles at all. I'd buy two cases of Sam Adams and drink it while my beer is fermenting. I bought two cases of Grolsch one time- dislike the beer, but I love the reusable flip-tops!

Never buy empty bottles! You can collect them from bars, recycling centers, etc.

You need some siphoning equipment for sure, and a bottling wand. An autosiphon, the correctly sized tubing, a bottling bucket, and the bottling wand are as crucial as a hydrometer.

I really think some kit prices are reasonable, and you could get a kit with all you need for $80, instead of trying to piece it together. I like this one: Basic Starter Kit - Starter Kits - Brewing : Northern Brewer
 
I do not have any supplies to make yeast.. I plan on doing a pale ale for my 1st brew, then prob. a brown ale, then a DIPA and then a stout.. Should i buy some supplies to help make yeast?

If i should what supplies would you recommend. ?

For your basic brews the Wyeast smack packs work great -no fussing with starters, etc. I've also used the Safale dry and simply hydrated it - both worked like a champ.

I spent a lot of time trying to save money on making my own wort chiller but found the 3/8" x 50' online for $70 was about the same as I could do making it on my own, and it arrives in a perfect spiral.

Unless I missed it, you'll want a mash tun before long - just an old cooler and a diy manifold works great.
 
So in everyones experience is a 6 gallon carboy or better bottle not efficient enough to do 5 gallon batches??

Is a 6.5 gallon bucket the only option?
 
A lot of people ferment 5 gal batches in 6 gallon better bottles! The trick is you may need to run a blowoff tube (which you accounted for in your list) if you're running a beer that goes wild in fementation. I am 1 week into fermenting my 1st batch in my new 6 gal BB and it's been doing great. No blowoff tube needed, just the airlock. Granted, bigger beers may make quite a mess if you push it.

See this post about the differences if you haven't read yet.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/

I was very similar to you in putting my equipment together. Decided I was going to buy things separately so I wasn't paying for stuff I didn't want in a kit. Also, you don't necessarily need all of it on brew day (ie, capper, siphon). Some other ways I kept SWMBO happy by cheaping out:
*Food grade buckets at Lowes + $3 spigot from LHBS = half the price of buying a "bottling bucket."
*I am borrowing an auto siphon, bottle wand and capper. I will buy my own soon, but for the 3 hours I'll need them my friend didn't mind.

So, for my initial investment, i spent a whopping total of $87, and that included the ingredients for my first batch.
 
2 oz of PBW?? Man, I use that on EVERYTHING. 2 lbs would be better, 4 or 8 better still!
 
2 oz of PBW?? Man, I use that on EVERYTHING. 2 lbs would be better, 4 or 8 better still!

Yes, but generic scent free oxiclean is $1 for a tub at the Dollar Store and it works well for every piece of brewery equipment. I rarely spend the money on PBW, as I only use it for my CIP HERMS.
 
Yooper said:
Yes, but generic scent free oxiclean is $1 for a tub at the Dollar Store and it works well for every piece of brewery equipment. I rarely spend the money on PBW, as I only use it for my CIP HERMS.

Sending wife to dollar store now! :)
 
Yes, but generic scent free oxiclean is $1 for a tub at the Dollar Store and it works well for every piece of brewery equipment. I rarely spend the money on PBW, as I only use it for my CIP HERMS.

fair enough. i split a pail in a recent group buy, but I use it pretty much everywhere, not just in the brewery.
 
I wouldn't buy any bottles at all. I'd buy two cases of Sam Adams and drink it while my beer is fermenting.
+1
That's what I did and they are really the perfect bottles to re-use. The only drawback is if/when you enter into a competition they won't take bottles with markings. (Samuel Adams is in raised lettering around the neck), but you can pick up a 12 of plain brown ones at the LHBS for that purpose when the time comes.

Also, if you go with a glass 6.5 gallon carboy , I would strongly urge a brew hauler. They make lifting and hanging onto that big hunk of glass a breeze.
 
As I said in my original post I HAVE 300 + bottles so I don't need any bottles.
 
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